Searching the Internet:
Directories and Search Engines
Searching the Internet:
Directories and Search Engines
| While the Internet is a treasure trove of information, finding relevant information there can be quite challenging. Fortunately, electronic directories and search engines have been created to facilitate finding information on the Internet. Today there are hundreds of directories and engines available to Internet users, so many that it can be difficult to select among them. This guide provides a select list of Internet search tools chosen on the basis of frequency of use, positive reviews, and unique features. Excluded from this guide are pay-per-use sites and sites that rely wholly on technology licensed from other firms. Tools are presented without rating or endorsement in four categories: Directories, Search Engines, Meta Search Engines, and Specialized Directories/Search Engines. For a complete list of tools and for resources that provide reviews and ratings for these tools, see For More Information. |
| Directories are databases of web sites compiled and maintained by humans. Typically only the main page of a web site is listed in a directory. Rarely do directories index more than one million web pages. Thus, a search using a directory is not a search of the entire Internet. Directories are particularly useful when conducting a general information search – when searching for specific information, consider using a search engine instead. |
| INFOMINE | Scholarly Internet resource collection. Browse 10 broad categories or search by subject, keyword, author, or title. Intended for faculty, students, and research staff at the university level. Indexes databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, and more. |
| Internet
Scout Project |
Includes nearly 12,000 critical annotations of Internet sites and mailing lists. Search or browse by subject. Located at University of Wisconsin-Madison and supported by the National Science Foundation. |
| Librarians'
Index to the Internet |
Annotated directory of more than 8,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for users of public libraries. Browse or search by subject, title, descriptor, or web address. |
| looksmart | Includes more than 2 million web addresses in more than 200,000 subject categories. Does not index pornography, hate, or spam. Used by numerous other search sites. |
| Open
Directory Project |
One of the largest directories of the web. Compiled by 36,000 volunteers worldwide. Browse 16 main categories. Hosted by Netscape. Used by numerous other search sites. |
| WWW
Virtual Library |
One of the oldest web directories. Compiled by volunteers worldwide. Quality and download time may vary across sections. Founded by Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web. |
| Yahoo | Organizes web sites into 14 main categories. Most entries are annotated. Directory search function uses Google search engine. |
| Search engines are tools used to locate web pages rather than just web sites. When searches are conducted using search engines, an index is searched rather than the entire web. The index is created and maintained through ongoing automated web searching by programs commonly known as spiders. While no single engine indexes the entire Internet, indexes created by search engines can exceed one billion web pages. Search engines are particularly useful for finding specific information – when searching for general information, consider using a web directory instead. |
| alltheweb (Fast) | Purports to be the largest, fastest, and most comprehensive search engine. Use to search web pages, pictures, video, MP3, and FTP files. Basic and advanced search modes. Helpful tutorial. |
| altavista | Basic and advanced search modes. Advanced mode allows limiting by date and language. Results display can be customized. One of the first full-text web databases, founded in 1995. |
| AOL Search | Available to non-AOL members for web searching. AOL members can search both the web and AOL content. Basic and advanced search modes (see “Options”). Searches contents of Open Directory Project first, then web index if necessary. |
| AskJeeves | Unique question/answer format allows plain English queries. Search or browse by subject. Uses popularity technology to direct users to sites that have proven most popular in similar searches. |
| excite | Searches web pages, news sources, photos, and an article directory. Has unique “Zoom In” feature, which creates a list of suggested search terms to focus a search. Has web directory that utilizes looksmart database. Busy site design. |
| Returns results based on the number of other web addresses that link to specific information on a site. Simple site with no advertising. “I’m feeling lucky” option takes user directly to the site Google ranks most relevant. Searches PDF files missed by most search engines. Advanced search mode includes an image search function. Used by numerous other search sites. | |
| HotBot | Basic (“Fewer Options”) and advanced search modes. Advanced mode allows limiting by language, date, medium, geographic location, and domain. Associated web directory is a subset of Open Directory Project. |
| Lycos/LycosPro | Basic and advanced (“LycosPro”) search modes. LycosPro allows limiting by document type, page field, and language. Includes “Topics of Lycos” – links to articles and special search services organized by subject. |
| Meta search engines use more than one search engine to conduct web searches. Typically the advanced search features of individual search engines utilized in the search are not available. Meta search engines are useful when trying to find as much information on the Internet about a specific topic as possible. Since no single search engine indexes the entire Internet, the use of a meta search engine often returns more documents than any single search engine. |
| CNET | Searches directories, search engines, auctions, news sources, discussion groups, and reference sites. Basic and advanced search modes. In advanced mode user can select from among six engines. |
| Dogpile | Uses four search engines at a time and continues until at least 10 documents have been identified. Displayed results are grouped by search engine. Searchers can select from among 15 engines. “Customizing” feature is used to select engines and change the order in which engines are used. |
| ixquick | Simple, uncluttered search page. Searches the web, news sources, MP3, pictures. Site can be displayed in any of 14 languages. Uses 11 search engines (can select all or some). |
| Mamma | Searches web, news sources, audio, video, images, and MP3. Search and power search modes. In power mode user can select up to eight search engines and can set maximum wait time. |
| MetaCrawler | Search and power search functions. In power mode user can select from 12 search engines, set maximum wait time, and limit by domain or geographic region. Allows searching for audio/MP3, images, and auctions. Has two searchable directories (Open Directory Project and looksmart). Has address and telephone number search section. |
| ProFusion | Basic and advanced search modes. In advanced mode user can select up to 13 search engines. Specializes in “invisible” web sources – sources not otherwise indexed by more traditional search engines. “Topic Searches” function can be used to focus searches by limiting queries to subject-specific sources. |
| Vivísimo | Emphasis is on clarity of output. Uses unique “clustering engine.” Results display includes a list of retrieved documents and a searchable hierarchical tree of subcategories relevant to the search. Uses nine search engines, eight news search engines, and five specialized engines. In advanced mode user can select up to 15 engines. New in 2001. |
| Many directories and search engines specialize in a particular subject or type of online information, as do the following three examples. For lists of specialized search tools see For More Information. |
| InvisibleWeb | Index of information resources whose contents usually are not indexed by traditional search engines. Includes over 10,000 databases, archival materials, and interactive tools such as calculators and dictionaries. Quick and advanced search features. Entries are annotated. |
| Google Groups | Formerly Deja News. Directory of online discussion forums and news groups with corresponding database of more than 650 million messages posted to the groups. Browse and keyword search functions. |
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